A second DeAndre Hopkins trade could transpire soon — perhaps by next week’s draft — and while the Cardinals wide receiver is a bit past his peak, he could impact the Super Bowl LVIII chase if sent to a contender. Will a team come through with a trade?
Hopkins, 31 in June, has loomed as a departure candidate for nearly a year; he is believed to want to land with a contender. The Cardinals have not ruled out retaining the accomplished wideout, but that does not appear the likely conclusion. This does not appear to be an acrimonious split.
“I’ve had a lot of interaction with Hop. He’s been great. Good discussions back and forth,” Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort said (h/t GoPHNX.com). “Hop’s proven to be a good player in this league, and he’s obviously a very talented player. Productive conversations with Hop, but going to keep those between us.”
Hopkins’ second Texans contract ran (five years, $81MM) ran through the 2022 season. While the Cardinals scrapped that deal upon acquiring the former All-Pro in 2020, the extension the sides agreed to tacked on two extra years to Hopkins’ contract. The Cards gave Hopkins $42.75MM fully guaranteed, and the two-year, $54.5MM bump ended up impacting the receiver market in 2022. Now, that contract calls for a $19.5MM base salary. Hopkins’ cap number sits at $29.9MM on Arizona’s payroll.
Although Hopkins previously said he would be open to adjusting his contract to facilitate a trade, the Cardinals have not received big offers. Some teams believe they Arizona be forced to release the 11th-year veteran, and a few have been connected as a destination for the Clemson alum.
A potential AFC duel probably should be mentioned first. The Chiefs have been connected to the big-bodied wideout for several weeks now, being tied to both he and Odell Beckham Jr. Now that OBJ is a Raven, the Chiefs — who lost JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman — are running short on options. Kansas City has Marquez Valdes-Scantling in place as its most reliable receiver, though Kadarius Toney provides more upside (and considerably more risk). Andy Reid‘s team bowing out of a Smith-Schuster sweepstakes that ended in an $8.5MM-per-year Patriots deal points to the Chiefs waiting out a Hopkins release. If Hopkins were available in free agency, the Chiefs’ Reid-Patrick Mahomes setup presents receivers a compelling pitch.
The other team Hopkins sounded receptive to playing for, the Bills already roster a high-variance boundary wideout (Gabe Davis) and can use Stefon Diggs across the formation. But they were mentioned as an early suitor. The Bills’ Von Miller move showed the urgency Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott are operating with, and while Diggs’ $24MM-AAV contract would be a complication regarding a Hopkins acquisition, the Bills certainly make sense as a free agency suitor — as acquiring a five-time Pro Bowler would stand to bolster their receiving corps and impede a Chiefs upgrade.
While the Cardinals look to be working with Hopkins’ camp here, his PED suspension voided the no-trade clause in his contract. That would open the door to more options, depending on the compensation offered. The Ravens just outbid the Jets and Giants for Beckham, and a report from ex-GM Michael Lombardi (Twitter link) indicated Lamar Jackson wanted the team to add OBJ and Hopkins. The Ravens have chased receivers for years. Their run-heavy offense has steered some — including Smith-Schuster — away, but they convinced Beckham to sign up to reunite with OC Todd Monken. The team does not have another notable receiver contract on its payroll, though Jackson’s $32.4MM franchise tag poses a problem.
The Giants lurked in the Beckham pursuit, offering an incentive-laden deal, and have either re-signed or added a host of slot receivers this offseason. New York has also done extensive homework on this draft’s receivers, being closely connected to adding one of the first-round-caliber targets. The team did pursue Jerry Jeudy and Brandin Cooks previously. Jets interest probably does not need to be explained much. Expected Jets QB Aaron Rodgers placed Beckham on his wish list, and the team has already added Hardman and Allen Lazard. If the Jets were willing to add Beckham, they are probably open to Hopkins.
Hopkins’ most recent podcast appearance pointed to less interest in being dealt to the Jets or Patriots compared to a Bills or Chiefs landing, and Bill O’Brien — who traded Hopkins when working as the Texans’ GM — coming to New England certainly would create an awkward fit. But if Matt Patricia and Darius Slay can work together again, just about any NFL relationship is salvageable. The Pats discussed Hopkins with the Cards earlier this offseason.
While the Cardinals having shopped Hopkins and discussed him in trades for months, it sounds like the rebuilding team will move on. If the team — which would eat $21.1MM in a pre-June 1 trade, without any contract adjustments — does not receive the offer it wants, is an unexpected reunion completely off the table? Aside from the aforementioned suitors, is there another team who could make a play here?
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